Photo By Matthew Lyall | PACIFIC OCEAN (July 30, 2022) Royal Australian Navy Able Seaman Combat Systems...... read more read more
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Article By Lieutenant Nancy Cotton
‘Waikiki Surfing, Sky Diving and a Promotion – A RIMPAC to remember’
Able Seaman Combat Systems Operator (CSO) Miranda McLaughlin has had a Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) to remember.
Currently assigned to Royal Australian Navy landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra (L02) and participating in RIMPAC 2022, Navy’s Landing Helicopter Dock, she joined Navy in 2020 after completing the Navy Gap Year Program.
The newly promoted Able Seaman (AB) McLaughlin has enjoyed all of what an international deployment has to offer, made even better by spending it with her shipmates in a destination some spend a lot of money to visit.
Taking part in the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific or RIMPAC, gave AB McLaughlin the opportunity to swap the Aussie winter for the stunning Hawaiian summer and surf.
Canberra arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, giving the ship’s company a well-earned Hawaiian port visit, which the 21-year old said she really enjoyed.
“I loved it, Hawaii was awesome, I did a sky dive which was the first and last time I’ll do that actually, it was so scary,” AB McLaughlin said.
“My mate and I learned to surf at Waikiki Beach which was great,” said AB McLaughlin. “I’m from Junee in New South Wales which is a small country town, so there are no oceans there.”
As a Combat Systems Operator - Air Warfare, AB McLaughlin works in the darkened Operations Room of the ship using radars to track air and surface contacts and has had a busy tactical sea phase during exercise RIMPAC.
“I essentially build a tactical picture for the Officer of the Watch on the ships bridge,” AB McLaughlin said. “They can only see as far as the horizon, but for me at my console I can see way beyond that so as CSO’s we are their eyes, looking for any air and surface dangers.”
“I love my job, every day I learn something new, there is so much experience in my team too and they are great to work with, which makes my job even better.”
When AB McLaughlin isn’t sat at her console monitoring radars, she said she makes an effort to get outside on the deck to get some sunshine.
“We work in a watch system onboard and in my down time, I enjoy reading and of course I need to make sure I sleep, eat and exercise too.”
AB McLaughlin said one of the best parts of her job is just the nature of knowing where she is and why.
“We all have our parts to play onboard, but for me I really like knowing exactly where I am in the world, why we are there and what we are doing.”
Having travelled extensively in her short naval career AB McLaughlin said it was absolutely the right career choice for her.
As Canberra concludes the sea phase of RIMPAC, AB McLaughlin said she is looking forward to Canberra’s second port visit into Hawaii before heading home, but she will probably give sky diving a miss this time.
Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, three submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971.
| Date Taken: | 07.30.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.03.2022 21:10 |
| Story ID: | 426375 |
| Location: | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Web Views: | 55 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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